Last week in January

      This week we will continue our work with mysteries. The students have done some excellent work identifying suspects, writing about clues and attempting to solve the mysteries before the detectives. We have been reading a Nancy Drew mystery together as a class. It has provided a more complex example of a mystery. We have also begun to work on answering some more detailed comprehension questions. This has given me an opportunity to teach the class some tricks for taking a test.

     We are working on division in math. This week we will be working on different types of word problems that can be solved using both division and multiplication. We will spend time talking about relating multiplication to division. It is very important that you are practicing math facts as often as possible.

      We have completed our realistic fiction unit in writing and we have just started an informational writing unit. The students will be writing about a topic they are experts on. The students will need to make a final decision on their topic by Wednesday. We will begin our work by looking at mentor texts and exploring different organization techniques.

      The students were very excited to learn that we will begin a Solar System unit in science. We brainstormed a list of facts we know about the Solar System today. By the end of the week we will begin an in-school research project.

    This week, I will send home our latest math test to be corrected and signed. Please return this to school by Friday. Current events this moth is optional. Many students have already signed up to present! Finally, a letter about our Valentine's Day celebration will be sent home this week, with the names of all the students in the class.

4 day week

    We will be very busy this week. In reading, we are working on a mystery unit. We have read a mystery together and each student is reading a mystery in his/her book group. Our work centers around the structure of a mystery, as well as key vocabulary like detective, theory, motivation and clues. This week we will try to imagine ourselves as the detective and discuss the role of a sidekick.
   In writing, we will complete our realistic fiction unit and begin an informational writing unit. During this unit students will be writing to inform the reader on a topic of their choice. It would be very helpful if you and your child could discuss possible topics at home. The topic should be something your child is an expert on and can write about with minimal research.
    In math, we will begin to explore division. Please continue to practice multiplication facts at home. We will also be looking at the clock and reviewing how to tell time to the half hour, quarter hour, and the minute. You will see a mix of these math concepts for homework this week.
    In word work, we will be exploring prefixes, suffixes and root words. Also, this week is the unit review for spelling, so we do not have spelling homework. In Social Studies we are finishing a travel brochure about modern day Egypt.

Star Lab

    We have been learning about many different constellations in the winter night sky, and tomorrow we will find them for ourselves in Star Lab. It is a unique experience and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to use this piece of equipment. We will find and discuss the location of many constellations using the cardinal directions, as well as horizon, middle and zenith. At the end of the week, we will learn about the Big Dipper and Little Dipper to prepare to enter Star Lab again next Monday.
    The students will complete the rough draft of their realistic fiction story. We will begin a new unit in reading. We will be exploring the genre of mystery. In general mysteries all share the same text structure. We will work on identifying this structure and use it to gain a greater understanding of this genre. We may also solve a few crimes along the way!
     In math, we will continue to work on multiplication. We have already learned 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9. It would be very helpful if you could spend a few minutes each night practicing these facts. This week we will learn 6, 7, and 8. These tend to be the most challenging facts for students to remember. I will send home a guide to the strategies we have used in class to help you study at home. Look for that to come home this week.
     Please remember to RSVP for our Star Lab event by Tuesday. We will send home your 30-minute time slot this week. This is the first time we have held a Star Lab event for parents and I am excited to share this with you.

Happy New Year!

     Happy New Year! I hope you were able to enjoy some time with your family. It was right back to business as usual today. For the next two days we will spend much of our time finishing some of the units we have been working on for the last few weeks.
     Today your child will be coming home with an invitation to a third grade event being held at Elsmere on the night of Wednesday, January 16th. Please help us plan for this event by RSVPing by Tuesday, January 8th. We will then send home a 30 minuted block of time for you to come to school for an activity and a tour of Star Lab.
     We will be beginning multiplication timed tests in a few weeks. So far we have learned 0, 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10. I suggest practicing the 2, 5, and 9 facts at home as often as possible. We will be learning the rest of the facts over the next two weeks. Then I will send home a guide to help you and your children use the same strategies at home as we have used in class.
   The students will be going into Star Lab for the first time on Monday! Enjoy the rest of your week!